I am a believer that the best clothing ideas come from watching a movie and wanting to live inside it. That is more or less how Ciao Lucia started. Lucy Akin was running her Los Angeles boutique, Shop Super Street, and sketching from the costumes she loved in Great Expectations. A friend made six samples, they sold in the shop, and she saw the bigger idea. The label was born in 2017.

What I like is the collection of small things behind it: Italian postcards, daydreams of the Riviera, and the name Lucia, which she got while studying abroad in Rome. Add 1960s films like To Catch a Thief and The Graduate, with women who look natural and self-possessed, and the clothes feel like a place you can carry with you rather than a resort uniform. Akin had been frustrated by a market full of streetwear, and these feminine vacation pieces are her answer.

Ciao Lucia's shorts are the playful end of the wardrobe. The Mariko Short in khaki and the Joska Short in white are easy foundations for a cotton shirt or a plain tank. The Bibbi Short in red and the Fava Short in stripe bring the color first, and the Paolo Short adds another stripe while the Joella Short stays calm in navy.

I would pair a printed pair with a quiet top and flat sandals, then let a woven bag carry the rest of the mood. Picture her leaving a late lunch for a walk along the water without changing a thing. My practical test: shorts are about rise and length, so hold them against a pair you already love.

These dresses stay close to the origin story: Ciao Lucia grew from samples people wanted to put on, not from a trend forecast. The Gianluca Dress and the Kala Dress, both in stripe, are easy day-to-dinner choices. The Brynn Dress in ivory feels right for an outdoor meal, and the Genevieve Dress in black is the quieter pick for city plans. The Rossella Dress and the Indus Dress are the two I would try on last, just to see.

In my fashion dreams, she takes the long route to dinner in the Gianluca Dress with a light layer over her shoulders as the sun slips away. What I would skip: heavy jewelry with the stripe. Check the hem against the shoes you actually plan to wear, especially on a longer one.

I like what happens when the dress is not the whole answer. The Rianne Pullover in canard and the Josette Pullover in ivory are simple starting points, and the Hydra Cardigan in periwinkle is the softer color note I would reach for. The Rowan Top and the Yuli Pant, both in Venice stripe, work as a matching pair, while the Ander Top and the Louisa Top leave room for separates. The Danelle Coat takes care of the cooler side of the evening.

Picture her in the matching stripe for a gallery afternoon, then reaching for the Danelle Coat when it cools. My styling tip is to let the stripe be the focus and keep the knit or coat calm, so the outfit reads as Ciao Lucia and not a costume.

What stays with me is that Ciao Lucia sells a destination as much as a dress, but it starts with one person, Lucy Akin, sketching pieces that sold fast in her own shop. That first success became a label whose 1960s film and Riviera references still feel personal rather than theatrical. I would pack one printed dress, one pair of easy shorts and a cardigan for the late walk back. Although I would probably wear the shorts home too.